Method of machine-making lace having variegated color pattern



METHOD OF MACHINE-MAKING LACE HAVING 5 VARIEGATED COLOR PATTERN Charles F. Schwerzler, Hudson Heights, N. J.

No Drawing. Application June 23, 1954, Serial No. 438,865

3 Claims. (Cl. 28-76) g This invention relates to textiles, and more particularly to a method of machine-making lace having a variegated color pattern, which method permits the extremely rapid and economical production of such lace and at the same time permits the attainment of color patterns heretofore impossible in machine-made lace.

Prior methods of machine-making lace have involved formation of the lace on the usual conventional embroidery machine, such lace originally being of a neutral color, and after completion thereof, dyeing the lace in the desired color. This resulted in the production of a lace in which the colors were more or less solid and in which no variegation or shading was possible. As a result, the available color combinations were very limited and consequently such lace had no individualism and it was not possible to vary the color pattern of the same in accordance with the creative, artistic talent of a lace designer.

While it is admittedly possible to produce variegated lace by hand, such process is entirely unsuitable for commercial or production purposes since the cost of lace produced by this hand method is prohibitive and prevents use of such lace in other than high-priced or luxury items.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a method of machine-making lace in high-speed production, and in which the resulting lace has a variegated, predetermined color pattern.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a method for machine-making lace which lace and color pattern may be produced at an extremely high rate of speed, thus resulting in a lace which may be sold in a highly competitive market.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a method for machine-making lace having a variegated color pattern, in which such pattern may be varied during the formation of such lace and in accordance with visual observation thereof by the operator.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a method for machine-making lace having a variegated color pattern in which such color pattern may be faithfully reproduced in any desired quantity of such lace.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

In carrying out the method of this invention, ordinarily the first step would be for a designer to create the desired lace design and color pattern although, if desired, such color pattern may be determined as the formation of the lace progresses and in accordance with visual observation thereof by the operator of the lace-making machine. However, assuming that the lace pattern and color pattern has been predetermined or created by a designer, it can therefrom be determined the approximate quantity of yarn required for each color appearing in the completed lace.

In accordance with this quantity determination, individual yarns are fast-dyed with the colors desired, each yarn being of a different color and each color being in a quantity in accordance with that required for the complete lace. These differently colored, dyed yarns are then wound on separate spools to be subsequently utilized in the formation of the lace.

In making the lace in accordance with the method of this invention, a conventional shuttle-type embroidery machine is utilized and, as is well known, such machine is provided with a plurality of needles and a corresponding number of shuttles designed to cooperate therewith. This embroidering machine is entirely conventional and well known in the art, and consequently no useful purpose is seen in illustrating or describing such machine in any detail in connection with this invention. This is primarily a manipulative process and even though a machine is utilized therein, no alterations or changes in such machine are contemplated and the method resides primarily in providing certain materials and in utilizing these materials in connection with the conventional embroidery machine in a manner as determined by the method described herein.

In a conventional embroidery machine, lace is formed on a base of cloth and in this particular invention such base preferably is formed of so-called Japanese silk cloth. This cloth is mounted on the embroidery machine in a stretched, flat condition and, of course, is of such size as is normally accomodated by the machine being used.

The machine is set up in a well-known manner to form lace of the desired pattern and also the individually colored yarns are fed to the various needles of the machine in a manner to produce the desired variegated color pattern. Assuming that one or more colors are predominant in the pattern, a corresponding quantity of yarn of that color will be fed to the appropriate needles. Obviously, a greater quantity of yarn of the predominating color will be fed than yarn comprising a less dominant color.

The machine is started and lace is formed on the silk cloth base, and as the formation of such lace progresses the color pattern thereof may be observed by the operator. This color pattern may be completely predetermined and automatically carried out, or if desired the same may be changed as making of the lace progresses, such change being in accordance with visual observation of the color pattern, and this operation might well be compared with an artist painting a picture. In other words, the feeding of different colored yarns to the needles of the embroidery machine may be, if desired, varied at will in order to thereby vary the color pattern of the lace being formed in accordance with the creative or artistic instincts of the machine operator.

Needless to say, the embroidery machine operates at a relatively high rate of speed and consequently a relatively large quantity of lace may be produced in a given time. Utilization of the method of this invention with the conventional embroidery machine does not in any way retard the rate of production of such machine, and consequently variegated color lace can be produced at the same rate as lace of one color has heretofore been produced.

After completion of the lace on the machine, the silk cloth base carrying such lace is removed therefrom, and treated with a caustic solution which operates to dissolve the entire silk cloth base, leaving the lace intact and in the same form as if such lace had been produced without the silk cloth base. The caustic solution has no effect on the lace itself, but does operate to entirely remove the silk cloth base. The lace may then be treated in any further desired manner such as by washing to remove any traces of the caustic solution, and may then be cut into desired lengths, packaged in any desired manner, or utilized for the formation or decoration of articles.

It will thus be seen that the above described method provides for the rapid, substantially automatic production of lace having a variegated color pattern, and which pattern may if desired be continuously varied as formation of the lace progresses and, as stated above, the utilization of the method of this invention in no Way slows down the production of the conventional embroidery machine utilized in practicing this method.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of machine-making lace having a variegated predetermined color pattern which comprises fastdyeing a plurality of individual yarns in the colors determined by said color pattern, each yarn being of a different color and being provided in a quantity determined by the proportion of that color in said lace, providing a conventional embroidery machine having a plurality of needles, providing a base of Japanese silk cloth, mounting said cloth on said machine in a stretched flat condition, feeding said yarns to the needles of said machine in accordance with said color pattern and progressively forming lace on said cloth, removing said cloth and lace from said machine and subjecting the same to treatment by a caustic solution to dissolve said cloth thereby providing machine-made lace having a variegated predetermined color pattern.

2. The method of machine-making lace having a variegated color pattern which comprises fast-dyeing a plurality of individual yarns in the colors determined by said color pattern, each yarn being of a different color and being provided in a quantity determined by the proportion of that color in said lace, providing a conventional embroidery machine having a plurality of needles, providing a cloth base, mounting said cloth on said machine, feeding said yarns to the needles of said machine in accordance with said color pattern and progressively forming lace on said cloth, removing said cloth and lace from said machine and subjecting the same to treatment by a caustic solution to dissolve said cloth thereby providing machine-made lace having a variegated colo pattern.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 in which said color pattern is progressively varied during formation of said lace and as a result of visual observation of such lace.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,409,319 Speakman Oct. 15, 1946 2,461,632 Datlow Feb. 15, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 525,038 Great Britain Aug. 20, 1940 

